Zeynep Sonmez is a rising tennis star from Istanbul, Türkiye, whose career has seen significant milestones since her breakthrough in 2025. Coached by Issam Jellali and supported by fitness and mental coach Mehmet Bayraktar, she was honored with the Athlete of the Year award at the Harper’s Bazaar Türkiye Women of the Year ceremony in Istanbul.
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Sonmez's passion for tennis began in childhood, influenced by attending the WTA Finals in Istanbul, where she admired players like Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams. Notably, she served as a ballgirl at the same event where Çağla Büyükakçay made history.
In 2024, she adopted a more aggressive playing style with a focus on net play, enhancing her already strong movement on the court. This adjustment came after a narrow loss to Daria Snigur in the Wimbledon qualifying rounds, which also contributed to her improved mental resilience.
Sonmez, who is right-handed and stands 5'7" (1.70m) tall, was born on April 30, 2002. Throughout her career, she has prioritized hope, focus, and sportsmanship, exemplified by a fair-play moment with Eva Lys in Monastir.
Her career highlights include winning her first WTA Tour title in Merida in 2024, making her the first Turkish player to do so since Büyükakçay in 2016. She also reached the quarterfinals at Monastir and entered the Top 100 rankings for the first time, concluding the year at No. 89. In 2025, she became the first Turkish player in the Open Era to reach the third round of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon and marked a career-high ranking of No. 69 on October 20.
Sonmez made her WTA Tour main draw debut in 2023, where she encountered tough matches, including a loss against Bianca Andreescu in 's-Hertogenbosch and another loss to Sofia Kenin in Hamburg. She reached the final of a WTA 125 event in Ljubljana and secured semifinal appearances in Kozerki. Earlier, she won two ITF titles in 2022 and one in 2020.